University United Methodist Preschool
150 E. Franklin Street
Chapel Hill NC 27514
919-967-8867
Age range: 2–5 years
Tuition: 2′s Class — 2 days/week, $160/month plus one-time $90 supply fee
3′s Class — 3 days/week, $216/month plus one-time $100 supply fee
4′s Class — 4 days/week, $355/month plus one-time $120 supply fee -or-
4′s Class — 5 days/week, $438/month plus one-time $130 supply fee
Accreditation: UUMP was one of the first area preschools to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in 1989. In January 2006, the NAEYC instated substantial changes in criteria for accreditation. The new criteria were more aligned to full day preschool programs, and the cost of maintaining accreditation increased. UUMP, along with other area preschools, believed that in order to continue to provide the high quality early childhood education it had become known for, it was in the best interest of the school to discontinue its accreditation. Despite this decision, the staff at UUMP continues to annually review and follow NAEYC guidelines, hoping to begin again the accreditation process when it more adequately addresses the needs of half-day non-profit preschool programs.
Application deadline: January
Application fee: $35 one-time fee per child, non-refundable
School starts: Early September; runs until May
School runs: 2’s class – Tues/Thurs 9:00 – 12:00; or Wed/Fri 9:00-12:00
*optional Lunch Bunch is offered to all 3′s from 11:45-12:45
3’s class – Mon/Tues/Thurs 8:45-11:45; or Mon/Wed/Fri 8:45-11:45
4’s class – 4-day class – Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs 9:00-1:00
4’s class – 5 day class Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs/Fri 9:00-1:00
Class size: 2-year-olds, 10 children; 3-year-olds, 12 children; 4-year-olds, 15 children
Student:teacher ratio: 2-year-olds, 5:1; 3-year-olds, 6:1; 4-year-olds, 7:1
Boy/girl quota: We try to create gender-balanced classes
How toilet-trained do children need to be? 2 year olds do not need to be toilet-trained. Must be toilet-trained to participate in optional Lunch Buch in the 3’s.
Parental participation required: Partial parent cooperative—All parents are scheduled to bring snacks several times throughout the year. Twice a year, parents are scheduled to be “Parent of the Day.” No teaching or planning is required. It is simply a chance for parents to spend one and a half hours playing with their children in the classroom. Each set of parents must also participate in 10 hours of work per year for the preschool. Opportunities are offered both within school hours (curriculum mornings, substituting for teachers, etc.), and after school hours (playground workdays, parent work nights, take home tasks designated by teachers, etc.). These tasks and time frame (between September and May) are chosen by the parents at their convenience.
Special features: Music Classes, Environmental Education (gardening, composting, recycling, nature walks), Puppet Shows, Walking Field Trips, School Spirit Days, Halloween Costume Parade and Carnival, Thanksgiving Feast, Family Christmas Sing-Along, Ester Egg Hunt and Easter Puppet Show, Beach Day
Website: http://uumpchapelhillpreschool.org/
Updated January 2014
